John Bass (abt. 1764 - aft. 1811)

Born about 1764 in Virginia

Descendants

Died after 1811 after about age 47 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Laurie Giffin [send private message]

Biography

John Bass was born in Virginia to unknown parents. Nova Scotia records show he was approximately 19 years old on November 19, 1783, when he emigrated from Nansemond Virginia to Port Mouton, Nova Scotia as the indentured servant of Ned Street, Wagon Master for General Musgrave]^[1].

• There doesn't appear to be a Bass or Street family in Virginia, however if Ned Street can be identified, its possible that John could be traced. There was a Street family in Boston, and a slave trade, and other emigrants brought slaves and indentured servants from Boston to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI.

John's wife was Margaret "Peggy" Dixon.

• More research is needed to establish her origins. The Nova Scotia records show various Dixon migrants from Virginia and the southern states, but none named Margaret or Peg. There are two young women named "Peg" with no surname given, one of whom was brought by Samuel Dickenson (brother of Tertellus Dickenson, who settled in Saint John, NB)

John and Peggy settled in PEI^[2]. Their children included:

1. Thomas Bass, born March 24, 1791^[3]
2. Margaret Bass, born November 3, 1795^[4], who married Lewis Jackson^{[5][6] [7]}
3. John Bass, born February 1, 1799^[8], who may have married Alice Ingram in Ontario^[9], only because other members of the Robinson family married into the Ingrams, so maybe its worth researching.
4. Edward Henry Bass, born May 20, 1801^[10]
5. Benjamin Bass, born April 17, 1804^[11]
6. David Bass born August 30, 1807^[12], who married Alice (Archer) Robinson, the widow of John Robinson in Newcastle, New Brunswick^{[13] [14]}
7. James Bass, born March 5, 1811^[15], who married Mary Ann Robinson, the daughter of John Robinson and Ann Archer of Newcastle, New Brunswick^{[14] [16]}

This profile shows John died sometime after the birth of his youngest child.

Sources

1. ↑ Library and Archives Canada Carleton Papers – Book of Negroes, 1783; Item: John BASS (118); Given Name(s):John; Surname:BASS; Age:19; Gender:Male; Race:Black; Military Service:No; Place of Origin:Nansemond, Virginia; Former Legal Status:Indentured; Current Legal Status:Free; How Freedom was Obtained:Served time; Certificate of Freedom:Yes; Issuer of Certificate:MUSGRAVE, General; Name of Former Owner:STREET, Ned; Name of Owner:Wagon Master General's Department; Destination:Port Mouton; Name of Ship:NESBITT; Shipmaster:WILSON; Date of Inspection:1783-11-19; Fonds:British Headquarters ; Papers (Carleton Papers or American Manuscripts). Book of Negroes; Document / Page Number:10427 (137); Reference:MG23 B1; Microfilm:M-369; Item Number:118
2. ↑ Whitfield, H., & Cahill, B. (2009). Slave Life and Slave Law in Colonial Prince Edward Island, 1769-1825. Acadiensis, 38(2). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/Acadiensis/article/view/12734/13665
3. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name Thomas Bass; Birth Date 24 March 1791  ; Baptismal Date 18 December 1791; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Peggy; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 14; Notes "Bags?"
4. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name Margaret Bass; Birth Date 3 November 1795  ; Baptismal Date 21 August 1796; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass ; Mother's Name Margaret Dickson; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3 ; Record Book Page 26
5. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name John Alexander Jackson; Birth Date 24 June 1813  ; Baptismal Date 25 November 1813; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name Lewis Jackson; Mother's Name Margaret Bass; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 138
6. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full NameWm Jackson; Birth Date 22 May  ; Baptismal Date 15 August 1815; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name Lewis Jackson; Mother's Name Mary Bass; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 156; Notes "(Negroes)" Wm. = William
7. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name Margaret Ellen Jackson; Birth Date 19 September 1818  ; Baptismal Date 4 April 1819; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name Lewis Jackson; Mother's Name Margaret Bass; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 177; Notes "(Negroes)"
8. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name John Bass; Birth Date 1 February 1799 ; Baptismal Date 23 June 1799; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Margaret; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 46
9. ↑ Ontario, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2YM-7JQL : 17 March 2018), John Bass in entry for Thomas J Layman and Jessie Rop, 24 Dec 1867; citing Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,065.
10. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name Edward Henry Bass; Birth Date 20 May 1801  ; Baptismal Date 30 August 1801; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Margaret Dixon; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 54; Notes "(Negroes)"
11. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name Benjamin Bass; Birth Date 17 April 1804  ; Baptismal Date 26 August 1804; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Margaret Dickson; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 71
12. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name David Bass; Birth Date 30 August 1807  ; Baptismal Date 13 September 1807; Officiating Clergy t Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Margaret Dixon; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 89
13. ↑ "New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBF-VQZD : 13 March 2018), David Bass and Elisia Robinson, 09 Sep 1838; citing Newcastle, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada, p. 49, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton; FHL microfilm 846,407.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} The 1851 Census of New Brunswick shows John with his family and step family, and Alice Sickles 2 doors away, in New Brunswick; District Name: Northumberland (county); Sub-District Name: Newcastle; Sub-District Number: 51b; Page Number: 50 ; Microfilm: C-996; Reference: RG 31; Item Number: 1215053
15. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Materials Online Baptismal Record; Child's Full Name James Bass; Birth Date 5 March 1811  ; Baptismal Date 24 March 1811; Officiating Clergy T Desbrisay; Father's Name John Bass; Mother's Name Margaret Dixon; Church Name St. Paul's Anglican Church; Church Location Charlottetown; Record Book Number 3; Record Book Page 126; Notes "(Negroes)"
16. ↑ The 1861 Census shows David living in New Brunswick; District Name: Northumberland; Sub-District Name: Newcastle; Page Number: 59; Line Number: 2075; Microfilm: C-1003-1004; Item Number: 1311480, with John on the next page